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The Root and Pam Spaulding Discuss the Concrete Harms of NC's Amendment One

The Root's Nsenga Burton, editor-at-large, interviewed Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend in a gripping article and continuing effort to elevate awareness about the detriment of Amendment One in North Carolina, which is up for a vote today. However, the constitutional amendment will have a detrimental effect on same-sex couples and straight couples if passed. As Burton poitns out: “The stakes are high because if this amendment passes, many will suffer, even unmarried opposite-sex couples.”

The passing of the law signifies a precedent for systematic discrimination built into the Constitution, something that Rev. William Barber of the local North Carolina NAACP is adamantly against. Barber has spoken out against Amendment One along with the coalition of organizations against Amendment One.

As it goes, “The amendment will block any future legislature from giving partners some or all the rights granted automatically to married couples in matters such as inheritance, child custody, property ownership and health care decision making.”

These changes will affect all couples in North Carolina, including domestic partnerships and straight couples, while still further anti-gay activists in North Carolina to discriminate against same-sex relationships. Further, it highlights the wrongful tactics of proponents of Amendment One to use race and religion as a tool to disrupt a concerted LGBT equality movement.

In Spaulding’s interview, the award-winning activist exposes the underhanded tactics by right wing conservatives like the National Organization for Marriage to divide the LGBT community with the black community. This media narrative has been a contentious media moment since the passing of Proposition 8, which placed a ban on same-sex marriage in California. Since, right-wing conservatives have strategically sought out black clergy members in an effort to push their agenda and create defamatory media attention about the black LGBT community and faith-based community.

Spaulding urges that this is the wrong way to legislate because it manipulates the Christian view to appeal to black voters. Spaulding says, “Proponents of Amendment One are populating the commercials with black families, and it is a disgusting tactic.”

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